Tag: Nick Tokes

Philip Bailey (Duet with Phil Collins) – Easy Lover (Extended Re-mixed Version) (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1984

AN 80s AUDITORY ICON

NEW 2023 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration!

I originally posted “Easy Lover” in December 2010 (UK 12″), and then again in November 2013 (US 12″). Still, for those who may have missed it in the past or are new to BTG, I have given this 80s Icon a deservingly new meticulous transfer using upgraded gear, and software. Additionally, I decided to use the superior U.K. 12″ since it is pressed at 45 RPM resulting in better overall fidelity. Enjoy 🙂

“Easy Lover” is a song performed by Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire and Phil Collins of Genesis, and jointly written and composed by Bailey, Collins, and Nathan East. The song appeared on Bailey’s solo album, Chinese Wall. Collins has performed the song in his live concerts, and it appears on both his 1990 album, Serious Hits… Live!, and his 1998 compilation album, …Hits. It is Bailey’s only US Top 40 hit as a solo artist.

The song was a No. 1 hit in several countries, including Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. In the U.S., it spent 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including 7 weeks in the Top 10, and peaked at No. 2 the weeks of 2 February 1985 and 9 February 1985, behind the chart-topping “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner. In the UK Singles Chart, it reached No. 1, staying there for four weeks. The single sold over a million copies in the U.S. and was certified gold, as the RIAA requirement for a platinum single disc was not lowered to one million units until 1989. In addition, “Easy Lover” has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Music Canada.

“Easy Lover” won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance in a Video in 1985 and was Grammy Award nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals in 1986.

In 1984, Phil Collins was hired as the producer for Philip Bailey’s solo album, Chinese Wall. According to Collins, Bailey approached him at the end of the sessions for the album and asked him to write a song together. In “Phil Collins: My Life in 15 Songs”, a 2016 interview he gave to Rolling Stone magazine, Collins said of the song: “So we just started having a jam one night, and went round and round and turned it into a verse and a chorus. We recorded it that night so we wouldn’t forget it. That song doesn’t sound like any particular era. It’s just fantastic.” According to the official sheet music, the song is in the key of F minor and has a tempo of 105 BPM, though the studio recording has a tempo of 130 BPM.

SIDE A:
Easy Lover (Extended Re-mixed Version) 6:20
Performer [Duet With] – Phil Collins
Written-By – N. East, P. Collins, P. Bailey*

SIDE B:
Woman 5:04
Performer] –Philip Bailey
Written-By –G. Skardina, M. Sharron, S. Mitchell*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1984 Easy Lover U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #2
1984 Easy Lover U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Tracks #15
1984 Easy Lover U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #5
1984 Easy Lover U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs #3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: CBS – TA 4915, Virgin – TA 4915
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Both tracks are taken from the new
Philip Bailey LP/cassette ‘Chinese Wall’
Phil Collins appears courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd.

Made in England

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable:Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus:  Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Toneâ„¢ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp:
Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
DAC:
Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning
: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans
: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!


Password: burningtheground

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Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Sledgehammer” is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It hit number one in Canada on 21 July 1986 where it spent four weeks; number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States on 26 July 1986; and number four in the UK singles chart, thanks in part to a popular and influential music video. It was his biggest hit in North America and ties with “Games Without Frontiers” as his biggest hit in the United Kingdom.

The song’s music video has won a number of awards, including a record nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards, and Best British Video at the 1987 Brit Awards. Gabriel was also nominated for three Grammy Awards: Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. As of 2011, “Sledgehammer” is the most played music video in the history of MTV.

SIDE A:
Sledgehammer (Extended Dance Remix) 7:20
Engineer – Nick Tokes
Remix – Tokes*

Sledgehammer (Extended Mix) 5:40

SIDE B:
Don’t Break This Rhythm 3:50

I Have The Touch (85 Remix) 3:44
Recorded By [Original] – David Lord, Peter Gabriell
Remix – Peter Gabriel, Peter Walsh

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year Single Chart Position
1986 Sledgehammer U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1
1986 Sledgehammer U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #1
1986 Sledgehammer U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs #61
1986 Sledgehammer U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play #1

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Geffen Records – 0-20456
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Maxi-Single, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop
Credits: Design – Brett Wickens, Peter Saville (2)
Engineer – Kevin Killen
Photography By – Trevor Key
Producer – Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel
Written-By – Peter Gabriel

NOTES:
Designed at Peter Saville Associates, London

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi